Millions Will Recycle on November 15

America Recycles Day is a great opportunity for convenience retailers to support their communities.

November 09, 2017

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Join the millions of people across the United States celebrating America Recycles Day on November 15, by hosting an event at your store. The theme for this year’s annual event is #BeRecycled, #BuyRecycled.

NACS research shows that consumers overwhelmingly say that convenience store appearance is important: 84% of consumers fueling up say cleanliness of the store is an important factor when considering whether they will shop at a particular store. And, 67% of consumers say that it is important for convenience stores to also have recycling bins. According to a NACS survey of retailers in early 2017, 25% of companies provide recycling bins for customers and 8% host community recycling programs

According to the experts at Keep America Beautiful, hosting a successful and impactful event can be easily done. Here are helpful tips:

  • Plan your event. There’s no limit to how creative and resourceful you can be. Check out the “Event Activities” section on the KAB toolkits page to get you started and inspired.
  • Register your event by making sure it is counted in the KAB official tally of America Recycles Day celebrations. Your event will appear on the interactive America Recycles Day event map.
  • Promote your event. It’s important to promote your event and to share information about what can be recycled (or not) in your community. We have many resources available to share with media and to provide to residents to raise awareness about what can be recycled.

Last month, Keep America Beautiful and NACS announced they partnered to produce the new resource, “Being a Good Neighbor: A Guide to Reducing Litter, Managing Trash and Encouraging Recycling” for convenience stores.

“Keep America Beautiful has been the nation’s steward for litter prevention for nearly 65 years. We recognize that foodservice and product packaging is a significant part of the litter stream, and we’re pleased to partner on this guide to help convenience stores and their customers reduce litter. It’s good for the environment and good for the community, and ultimately good for business because consumers support businesses that support the communities they serve,” said Jeff Lenard, NACS vice president of strategic industry initiatives.

“With convenience stores comprising 34% of all retailer business, convenience store operators can play an instrumental role in providing customers with convenient trash and recycling containers to lessen litter and improve recycling at their locations,” said Pulley in a recent Convenience Matters podcast episode on the topic. In the episode, "Keeping Convenience Stores Beautiful", she offers suggestions for trash and recycling receptacle placement, sign ideas and ways for retailers to get involved within the community with their local KAB affiliates.

Be sure to share your story, including photos, with us! Email Carolyn Schnare, NACS director of strategic initiatives, about your event.

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